Cocaine

When compared to the overwhelming concept of what is really out there, America's notorious profile of "the land of opportunity" diminishes to just another location on the map. I suppose I could ramble on about how wonderful this place is because of all the diversity, the money, the power, the opportunity, the "happiness" that it perseveres, but what is this type of wonderful that the rest of the world glamorizes as if we were some sort of teen-pop sensation? I'm afraid I don't understand.

To most people, especially foreigners/immigrants, being an American means a life of endless hope. To me, being an American means that you better get out and see the rest of the world before you decide that you're as great as you think you are.

I have always been opposed to the whole conspiracy that we are the ones everyone else looks up to. Why is that? Most people, or should I say Americans, would answer that question with a naпve statement like "because we have so much money" or "because of our power." That's ridiculous. If we're so extraordinary with all of our billions and billions of dollars that we've earned, why is poverty such an impudent and ever-present problem throughout the country? Do we even care about the people living on the streets that we are so quick to judge, when who are we anyway to say what kind of a life they've led? We blame them for being poor when we, America, this big, glorious image of everything you'll ever need is selfishly keeping all that money for the rich people who "deserve" it. We throw our earnings away on million dollar homes and 6-figure priced cars, and the celebrities are buying thousands of dollars worth of pet-supplies for their red carpet poodles (meanwhile we're all sitting at home watching this on E! for mere entertainment).

Perhaps I'm being too harsh, but it's true. Every day in the business industry, pin-striped-suited employees are perfecting their skills in backstabbing so that they walk away with the most money at the end of the day. Meanwhile, the "less fortunate" rest of the world is understanding what it means to earn a living as opposed to what it means to have your life revolve around the idea that money equals happiness. And maybe everything isn't about money to us Americans anyways. But if it's not money, then it's power. And if it's not power,